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Things to do...

This
is not an all-inclusive list but rather some top recommendations and
not in any particular order – just things we enjoy doing when free time
permits.

Reds Meadow/Rainbow
Falls – spending a half day or full day down in the Reds Meadow valley
hiking from the Devil’s Postpile to Rainbow Falls is a weekend favorite.
Catch the shuttle up at the Mammoth Mountain Main Lodge, prices
approximately $7 for adults and $5 for kids. Don’t miss the staircase
that takes you to the base of the falls. Decent food and snacks can be
bought at the Red’s Meadow Resort. I like the free hot spring showers at
Reds Meadow campground, the walk around Sotcher Lake, and the time I
saw a bear behind the wheel of my Corolla.

(keys were in the ignition...)

Sand Canyon Jeep/OHV
trail – pick up this infamous trail out of Swall Meadows (about 7 miles
south of Hilton Creek) off of Sky Meadows Ranch road. The dirt road
quickly turns steep and then beach sandy. As the trail levels off it
gets rocky and pinched in by brush, a side road continues on to the left
(Wheeler Ridge jeep trail) or continue straight to soon end at a small
lake. The road up to Wheeler Ridge is best on OHV only – stock 4x4’s
beware!

Rock Creek Canyon – anyone could spend weeks up here exploring
the different trails, we certainly do. Park at the East Fork trailhead
and enjoy a leisurely walk along the creek and in the aspens. The trail
crosses a bridge at the East Fork campground and you can continue up to
the Rock Creek Lodge, and even further up to Rock Creek Lake and to the
other resort that is famous for their fresh pie.

The Hilton/Davis Lakes trail is a bit longer but you can start up top and walk all the way down to the cabin back door.

Both resorts in Rock Creek Canyon serve
up great meals; the lower resort is a bit on the gourmet side while the
one by Rock Creek Lake serves café style. Tom’s Place is at the mouth
of Rock Creek canyon for the most reasonably priced meals and biggest
selection. All three places mentioned have general stores.

Wild Willies
Hot Tub – natural hot spring for soaking and enjoying time go by. Easy
directions are found in our hot springs book inside the cabin. For the
adventurous there are several other hot springs hidden throughout the
same general area – consult the book and watch out for mud during early
spring. Many guests have relaxed out in the springs for sunsets or
moon rises.

Duck Pass Trail/Hike – The trailhead is at the end of the
Coldwater Creek campground in the Mammoth Lakes Basin. (About a 25
minute drive from the cabin) Many trails lead up to Arrowhead Lake,
Skelton Lake, Barney Lake, and up on over the pass to Duck Lake. We were
at Duck Lake on 9–11. As one of the best hikes Mammoth has to offer,
the trail can get busy and sometimes is in rough shape due to overuse.
Lots of other hikes and lakes can be found at this popular
trailhead.

Reading next to the creek – we do this for hours on end. Check
out the local guide books, Hot Springs of the Eastern Sierra, Mammoth From the Inside, and Guide to Yosemite and the Southern Sierra. The local interest books are great too: These Canyons are Full of Ghosts, Owens Valley Water Wars, Pearsonville 93527, Lone Pine CA,
etc. Plenty of finance and real estate related books, a bit of
something for everyone! Plenty of maps too, please use them fully just
remember to leave them upon departure.

Fishing
the June Lake Loop – June, Gull, Silver, Grant, and Rush Creek too.
Favorites and which spot is best is highly debatable. I’ll throw one out
there: From the Pine Cliff Resort (on June Lake) take the dirt road to
the right and follow it down to the free boat launch. Follow the road
until it ends, park. A fishing trail now skirts near the lake, but above
it. Follow the trail until you hit the huge fallen Juniper tree, then
scramble down for some great fishing off the rocks. There are some
underground springs there that feed the lake and the fish love to hang
out and get caught! Bring some salami and string so the crawdaddies
don’t feel left out.Side trip to the free June Lake beach –
drop off the non-fisherpersons and sun bathers here so they can have
some fun swimming – warm weather is best.

Libraries and Visitor’s Centers – at
the Libraries you can catch up with some free high-speed internet
access. Hilton Creek, Mammoth Lakes, and June Lake libraries are all
available but Mammoth is open and staffed for the longest hours.
(10am-7pm daily except for Sunday)

Visitor Centers in Mammoth and Lone Pine
are awesome, your head will spin at the endless recreational
opportunities that are offered.

Cross country skiing – Tamarack is the
first choice, the trails all throughout the Lakes Basin are fun and
challenging. Rock Creek also offers a trail system for a fee of $5.
Other free and recommended areas are the Shady Rest trail system (in
Mammoth), the road to the Minaret Vista from Mammoth Mountain’s main
lodge, Inyo Craters vicinity, and the Obsidian Dome/Hartley Springs area
on the 395 between Mammoth and June Lake.

Mammoth Mountain/June Mountain Ski
areas – just had to put this in as we put in a lot of days at both
resorts. Both ski areas are fabulous and about a ½ hour drive apart.
From what I’ve heard, Mammoth Mountain offers an excellent mountain bike
park in the summer. The trip up to the top in the gondola is fun year
round just for sight seeing and for the new interpretive center too.
Small snack bar at the top includes beer & wine.

Reds Lake near the base
of chairs 13 & 14 is a great place for a cool high altitude swim.
Dirt road access to the lake is on your left as you head up and about
1/4 mile past the chair 12 under-crossing. (summer only)

Out of area day trips –
Yosemite, Bodie Ghost town, and Death Valley. We haven’t been spending
much time in Yosemite or Bodie as of late, but we do enjoy Death Valley
and Panamint Valley a lot – something to be said for being able to leave
the high country once in a while… out of the snow and into the desert.

McGee Creek Canyon
Trail/pack station – just down the road from the cabin is another great
hiking spot. (go figure) The McGee Creek trail leads to numerous lakes
and the wildflowers last long into July many years. The pack station is
the most affordable around and comes recommended.

Off road exploring and
other expeditions! – This area, folks, is the last of the wild west. Our
OHV and 4×4 opportunities are vast. Local areas of interest include,
Mammoth to June Lake, Tungstens, Buttermilks, Coyote, White Mountains,
Glass Mountains, etc. For those who want to see it all, longer
expeditions include June Lake to Hawthorne, Crowley Lake to Death
Valley, or even Mammoth to Baja Mexico, and points beyond or in between.
All routes are dirt and full of discovery and adventure. From the
Eastern Sierra one can cover a huge part of our country all on dirt
roads — the only barriers being Canada and Mexico.

Fall colors – coming up
to see the trees change color in mid September through mid October is a
big deal. Best viewing spot is right out the window of the cabin. Other
favorite locales include Rock Creek, June Lake, and Conway Summit.

Fruit picking at the
Apple Hill Ranch in Wilkerson – this orchard on 20 acres has Rawson
Creek running through – an incredible place. The picking season is long
with cherries and apricots ripening first – prices are decent and they
don’t weigh you in prior to picking! Wilkerson is about 3 miles south
of Bishop, next time we go I’ll log the exact street directions and post
them up. No reservations required.

*Updated with directions: leaving
Bishop headed south on the 395 the Gerkin Road exit comes quickly after
passing the golf course. Exit right and follow Gerkin Road to Wilkerson
– a couple miles or so. Entering the neighborhood look for Sierra
Grande. Make right onto Sierra Grande and head up the hill through a
nice residential area. The road will turn into dirt, the Apple Hill
Ranch entrance will be on your left. Follow the driveway thru the
orchard as it winds and crosses over Rawson Creek. The owner’s house is
at the end of the driveway, plenty of parking is available. Ring the
outside bell if no one is around – but usually someone is and can get
you some tips on picking and where to go. Our last trip there mid
September 08 was amazing with so much fruit and vegetables ripe, sweet,
and full of flavor.

Farmer’s Market – held on Main Street
in Mammoth on Wednesday evenings throughout the summer and fall from
4:00 – 7:00 p.m. Get there early for best selection and long line
avoidance. Good stuff!

Mammoth Lakes outdoor
ice rink – how did that make the list? Very fun and visitor friendly, I
should know. Open daily from Thanksgiving to second week in March,
weather permitting. K2 skate rentals, hot cocoa, heated bathrooms,
firepits, and music.

Other hikes, boat
rentals, horseback riding. Too much to list, but many outfits up here
offer horse rides, boat rentals, and even guiding services. Please
bring to us your questions before or during your stay. We enjoy meeting
our guests and chatting it up. Future guests too!

Places to eat –
*closest first (our list might represent 10% of what is available up
here, email me if I’ve missed a favorite of yours)

Rock Creek Lodge – bring your pocket
book and be surprised at the offerings in a Lodgepole pine forest
setting. Before or after dinner stroll along Rock Creek mandatory.

Rock Creek Lake Resort – cafe style
breakfast and lunch. Get your pie in the sky here, you can park at the
East Fork lot and hike (or run) up along Rock Creek to the resort.
(another one of our all time favorite walks – about 4 miles round trip)
The walk around Rock Creek Lake is easy.

Convict Lake Resort – On the higher
end, but good. The 2.3 mile hike around Convict Lake is another family
favorite – especially prior to dusk.

Gomez’s - Mexican restaurant in Mammoth, now hidden away in the village.

Roberto’s – On Old
Mammoth Road, Roberto’s now beats Gomez’s with their daily “Roberto’s
Classic” lunch special for $6.50. It features one taco, one enchilada,
and rice and beans, 11:00 – 2:00 p.m. only.

Good Life Cafe - Tucked away in the Mammoth Mall, great fried zucchini sticks, breakfast and lunch specials.

Giovannis – In Mammoth and a must for pizza lovers, close to Vons.

Salad bars in Mammoth –
first choice is Giovannis, tied for second is Perry’s Pizza (now that
they did away with their pizza/salad bar lunch special, also in second
place are the salad bars on Mammoth Mountain – open during winter season
they are decent and we appreciate the mountain offering that
convenience.

Mammoth Mountain (winter) – Taco
tuesdays at the Mill near chair 2. $2 tacos and $2 tequilla shots how
can one go wrong? A perfect Tuesday for us looks like: powder in the
a.m., VC races at noon, quick salad bar at main lodge, helping out with
snowboard PE at 2:00 p.m., and then the last chair down to the Mill
after 4 p.m. for some tacos.

Latin Market taco stand - best salsa bar in Mammoth! Located near the Charthouse and Mogul on Tavern road.

Salsa's – Mexican food next to the Police Station… don't forget to order some fried Jalapenos.

La Palma – in Bishop, and another place
for good Mexican food. Great salsa bar too, really hits the spot after
hiking all day in the Whites, Bishop Creek drainage, or up and around
the Chocolate Lakes loop.

Tiger Bar – June Lake, similar to Tom’s
Place with authentic character. Pool table, sharks, juke box, clampers,
local militia, and tiger chips.

Tioga Toomies – in Lee Vining, you’ve
all heard by now about this affordable gourmet Mobile gas station diner
but you probably haven’t heard about the bachelor party crashed by a
person in a bear costume.

Rossi’s Steak and Spaghetti in Big Pine – not cheap but excellent family style dining and they are open late.

Miso Sushi in Ridgecrest, Lancaster, or
Acton – all you can eat (made to order) sushi for highway travelers
and/or desert campers.

Sushi Minato – runner up all you can eat sushi in Reno and next to Trader Joes – order the fried Jalapenos and free hot sake.